How to make a googly eye garland

For my Halloween party, I’m going all in on googly eyes, and I thought a 3-D googly eye garland would be fun. I started with ball pit balls and turned them into giant googly eyes. It’s a very easy process, and I’ve also got a tip to make it even easier if DIY isn’t normally your thing.

Googly Eye Garland Supplies

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• 7 cm (about 2.75 inch) white ball pit balls (50)
• 6-inch upholstery needle
• 1/8-inch white satin ribbon
• Black crafting vinyl
• 1-inch circular hole punch

Choosing Your Needle

Whatever ball size you choose, make sure your upholstery needle is about twice the diameter of the ball, so it’s easy to insert and pull all the way through. My balls were about 2.75 inches across, so I chose a 6-inch needle.

A Shortcut: Premade Garlands

You can buy preassembled garlands made from ball pit balls, but they’re usually designed for weddings or to look like a giant pearl necklace, so they tend to be pearlized. I wanted pure white, so I bought individual white balls instead.

If pearlized is fine with you, a premade garland saves you the assembly step. Just know that they’re usually about 50 feet long, so if that’s way more garland than you need, the individual balls are the better option.

Making the Googly Eye Garland

1. Measure your ribbon. Hold the ribbon up to the spot where the garland will hang to get an approximate length, and pull that ribbon much off the spool. Add about 24 inches of ribbon on each end so it’s easy to tie the garland in place.

2. String the balls. Each ball has a circle on either end. Going through those two circles that helps keep the ribbon centered in each ball. Puncture the middle of one circle with the needle and come out through the center of the circle on the opposite side.

3. Don’t pack them too tight. If you squish the balls together, they’ll dent. You can gently push them back into shape, but it’s easier to leave a little slack in the first place.

4. Punch the pupils. Once all the balls are on the ribbon, punch circles out of the black vinyl with your hole punch.

5. Apply the eyes. My punch made 1-inch and 1/2-inch circles, and I used both sizes for variety. Peel the backing off the vinyl and press each circle onto a ball. You’ll need to work the vinyl into place a bit, since you’re not applying it to a flat surface, and it may bubble up in spots.

Hanging It Up

Tie the ribbon at each end to a Command strip hook, then turn the balls so the eyes face outward.

And that’s it! Super easy. Is this something you’d make for a Halloween party or a little monsters theme birthday party?

Be sure to come back and see the googly eye garland at my Halloween party!